Cutter-guard for woodworking machinery.



PATENTED JULY 17, 1906. 1 G. B. BARTHOLOMEW.

CUTTER GUARD FOR WOODWORKING MACHINERY.

APPLICATION FILED $EPT.26,1905.

lllHl/HIHIHH Ill wifneoaea UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

eEonc-E B. BARTHOIMHLW,

OEASHLAND, KENTUCKY.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented July 17, 1906.

Application filed September 28, 1905. Serial No. 280.151.

To (all wit/I m, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. BARTHOLO:

' MEW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ashland, in the county of Boyd and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and i useful Improvements in Cutter-Guards for WVoodworking Machinery, of which the following is a specification. i

The invention to be hereinafter described relates to cutter-guards for woodworking' 1 machines, and more particularly to such type of devices known as surfacing and jointing machines. In the practical oper 'ation of such machines it frequently happens that material is treated the width of which is not sufficient to cover the entire operating area of the cutters, so that in feeding material by hand the machine attendant is. subjected to the danger of having his hands or person injured by contact with the cutters.

The general object, therefore, of the present invention is to provide a cutter-guard of simple construction which will efficiently cover the otherwise-exposed operating area of the cutters, in which also the cutter-guard shall automatically adjust itself to the different widths of material treated and be readily locked in position over the cutters or placed in convenient position out of the way when not required for service.

With these generally-stated objects in view the invention consists of the parts and combinations to be hereinafter described and then definitely pointed out in the claims.

' In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of the invention, showing the same in position over the cutters-of an ordinary type of surfacing or jointing machine, parts being broken away. Fig. 2 is a similar plan view shonn'ng the cutter-guard swungomits operative position over the cutters to one side out of the way when not required for service. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of so much of a surfacing or jointing machine as necessary to show the cutter-guard applied thereto. Fi i is a detail showing the lock for holding t e cutter-guard in position over the cutters.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A designates a suitable work-supporting table of any ordinary or desired form of surfacing or jointing machine, B the cutters of such machine mounted on the ,nperatingshaft B, and .Cthe work-guide. ihese parts may be of the usual or any general type, construction, or arrangement and in specific details form no part of the present invention, they be ng illustrated to show one application of the p esent invention without re striction of the invention thereto.

Rising from the work-supporting table? A in proximity to the cutters B is a supportingarm (L, Fig. 3, preferably held in place by a set-screw a beneath the table and having at its upper end the sleeve-bearing a Figs. 1 and 2, throughwhich passes the horizontal carrying-arm I), said arm b being adjustable in the sleeve-bearing a and held in position by means of a set-screw o The carryingarm I) is preferably enlarged somewhat at its outer end I), Fig. 3, and provided with a perr forationthrough which passes the pin d. of the turning arm d. Said pin d extends somewhat below the end of the carrying-ar1n b and is surrounded by a spring (1 one end of which contacts with the under side of the end 3) and the other end. againsta pin d. (See Fig. 3.) The upper portion of end I) of the carrying-arm b is cut away or provided with a locking-shoulder I), and the under nortion of the end d" of the turning arm (Z .is ilrewise cut away or provided with a shoulder (P, such shoulders being so disposed that the spring (1 will normally hold them in locking engagement to prevent rotative movement of the turning arm d, and yet by an upward pull or lift of the arm (1 will enable the shoulders b and d to be disengaged and the arm at to be swung about its connection With arm I) for a purpose that will presently appear. v

To the turning-arm d are secured the guard-su ports cc, Figs. 1 and 2-, such guardsupports eing passed through the perforated lugs e on the guard-plate E and a spring being mounted upon each ofsaid guard-supt ports between such lug and the connection of the supports to the turning arm d, whereby the nermaltendency of the springs e is to force the guard-plate E from the arm d. The

outer ends of the guard-supports e are pro-- vided with suitable stops as, for instance, the nuts 6 The guardlate E, Fig. 3, is formed with ISO wardly-turned flange a, and both it and the plate E have an outwardly-turned portion,

. as at E on that side of the guard-plate to the edge of the work-ta blc, and

which the work or board, as indicated in dotted lines at D, Fig. 1, is introduced. The efl'ect of this is that the operative is not called upon to handle the cutter-guard when it is in operative position, as shown in Fig. 1, because the piece to be cut, D, is merely 'fed endwise along the elk-guide C, and as it comes in contact with the curved portion E of the guard-plate such guard-plate is forced outwardly against the tension of the sprin s 0 From the construetimi described it wi l he noted thatwhen the guard-plate l: isin itsoperative position covering the cutters the turning arm at is substantially parallel with the supports 0 hold the guard-plate in position, so that any outward or inward movement thereof is in substantial parallelism with the axis of the 0 crating-shaft B all times the guard-plate ell'ectually covers all portions of the cutters not protected by the work itself. It will be further noted that when the guard-plate is in its operative po hereinbefore described,

sition, Fig. 1, the locking device comprising the shoulders I)" and (Z and their coacting parts efl'ectuall hold the guard-plate in the position just escribed, so that any force tending to move the plate away from the work-guide C simply effects a bodily outward movement of the allel to the operating-shaft of the cutters, so that there is at no time during the operation of the cutters any exposed portion thereof which mi-gl'it be liable to cause injury to the workmen. When it is desired to dispense with the service of the guard-plate, the turning arm d is lifted sul'liciently to permitdisengagement of the shoulders!) and dfiwhereupon the guard-plate E may be swung with its connected parts away from the cutters into the position indicated in Fig. 2.

In devices of this character the workmen are very liable to place theirhands upon the guard-plate E While manipulating the work to be cut, and the present device, comprising the curved guard-plate, enables such guard-plate to' find stable bearings at the points e, thereby preventing any downward deflection of the guard-plate when thus handled. The present device also is well adapted for application to any surfaceing or jointing machine by merely providing a support for the upright a on the table of the machine, the remaining portion of the cutterguard being self-contained and applicable to or detachable from such machine without special appliances or changes in the machine.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a cutter-guard for woodworkingot' the cu ters, so that at I guard-plate E parmachines, the combination of an integrally formed guard-plate having an upwardlycurved central portion and horizontally-ex tending side portions to normally rest upon the machine-framehvhcn the guard is in operative position protecting the cutter, a supporting-arm adjustably secured to the machineframe and extending outwardly therefrom, a horizontally-turning arm having a vertical pivotal connection with the projecting endof the supporting-arn1, connections between the l horizontally-turning arm and the guardplate, and a lock disposed between the end of the su morting-arm and turning arm.

2. n a cutter-guard for woodworking 1 machines, the combination of a supportingl arm, a horizontallyswinging turning arm having a vertical pivotal connection with said supporting-arm, a .lock for holding said turning arm in its operative position, said lock comprising a pin on said tlirning arm and cooperating shoulders on said supporting-arm, operating-arms mounted horizontally on said turning-arm, said operating-arms hav ing slidably mounted thereon a cutter-guard, said cutter-guard comprising a plate having an upwardly curved central portion, an -integrally-formed curved guide-flange, an illtegrally-formed flat horizontal supportingtlange on either side of the curved portion, and springs interposed between the cutterguar and the turning arm and surrounding the operating-arms, said springs acting to hold the guard yieldingly in its extended poand cooperatguard comprising a plate having anupwardlycurved central ortion, an integrally-formed curved guide lange, an integrally formed horizontal supporting-flange on either side of the curved portion, a perforated ear mounted on each of said supporting-flanges and adapted to slida'bly receive through such perforation one of the operating-arms and a spring mounted upon such supporting-arm and interposed between the lug and the turning arm I whereby the cutter-guard is yieldingly-held in its operative position,

In testimony whereof I'afiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE B. BARTHOLOMEW. Witnesses:

W. H. .CLAY, LEROY J. TAFT. 

